Dearly Departed
by ChinamiMorimoto
Summary: After Ennis's death in 2005, Alma feels she needs to go tell Jack Ennis is where he is now too, so she drives up to Lightning Flat. While she's there, she meets someone in the graveyard of the little Pentecostal church.


January, 2005

Alma Monroe parked in front of the little whitewashed Pentecostal church, got out, wrapped her coat more snugly around her, and started going along each row of headstones. A few minutes later, another car pulled up and a woman somewhere in her late fifties or early sixties just like Alma got out and walked to a grave near a white marble obelisk. When Alma got to be one row of graves over from the obelisk the woman looked up at her. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Oh, yes, I am." Alma brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "My ex-husband died recently and I know his best friend is buried in this town, and I couldn't say why but I just felt like I needed to come let him know."

The other woman smiled and looked down. "That's awful good of you. I don't know this grave yard real well, I'm just 'round these parts with my son and his family for the holidays, but I've been here a few times, maybe I can help. What's his name?"

"Jack Twist."

The woman's mouth fell open. "No."

"What?" Alma was taken aback by the woman's reaction. "Did you know him?"

"He was my husband." Lureen Twist touched the headstone in front of her. "He's right here."

Alma put one gloved hand to her mouth. "Well what are the odds."

"I couldn't say." Lureen held out a hand and Alma shook it. "I'm Lureen."

"Alma."

"Am I right in thinking you were married to Ennis Delmar?"

"I was."

The two women laughed at the unlikeliness of their encounter. Lureen shook her head. "I never imagined I would ever meet you, certainly not here."

"I know." Alma looked down, hesitated, and put her hand next to Lureen's on Jack's tombstone. "I can hardly even believe I'm here. Don't know why but I felt I needed to tell him Ennis is, well, wherever they are."

Lureen nodded. "They were close."

"Real close."

"I stopped countin' how many times Jack drove up to Wyoming."

"Seemed like they were off camping or fishing or whatever every weekend."

"But it couldn't a been more than once a month or two!" Lureen laughed again, shook her head, pressed her lips together, and looked down. "They sure were close."

"Yeah."

Lureen was quiet a moment. "You ever think—" She stopped herself. "Nevermind."

Alma looked at her. "I ever think what?"

"It's nothing." After a long moment Lureen took a breath. "Just, you ever think they mighta been a little too-"

"Too close?" Alma laughed, sounding like a madwoman to her own ears. "Oh I know they were too close." Her hand on the tombstone curled into a crocheted fist. "I saw them."

Lureen's eyes went wide. "Saw them? Doin' what?"

"Kissin'. Kissin' like they were 'bout to tear each other's clothes off right there in the stairwell."

"Oh my God." Lureen put her hand on Alma's. "I had my suspicions but... Bless you for not killin' either of 'em. If I'd seen something like that I definitely mighta shot one if not both."

"Who would you have shot if you only shot one?"

"You know, I don't know. Probably Jack." Lureen affectionately brushed some snow from the tombstone. "I sure don't blame you for leaving 'im. You did leave him, didn't you?"

Alma nodded. "I got to a point I couldn't take anymore."

"I don't think a woman should have to stay in any relationship that isn't working."

"So you and Jack, that _worked_?"

"Yeah. For a while, at least. Then I just got real good pretending it did."

"Why didn't you leave?"

Lureen was quiet a moment. "Well, in part, because my daddy'd never liked Jack but I married 'im anyway, divorcing 'im woulda been like admitting I was wrong and I was always too stubborn for that. And of course there's also that I loved him, always did, I really didn't want him to go. Then, well, he died, and that changes things. When somebody dies they become almost sacred I guess. Took me a real long time to get past everything. I did remarry eventually, older fellow with just as much money as my daddy had, just like my daddy wanted. He died a few years ago but I knew when I said 'I do' I was fating myself to outlive two husbands."

"I remarried too. He's still around. Had a son with 'im, love 'em both."

"I'm sure you do" Lureen paused, "Did you love Ennis?"

Alma met Lureen's eyes. "Of course I did. Even while I hated him, I don't think I ever stopped loving him. In a way I still haven't."

"I understand."

"Hated Jack, too."

"I know. Somehow I never could hate Ennis, though. Hated every other guy I thought Jack mighta been seein' but couldn't quite hate Ennis." Lureen ignored Alma's startled expression at her mention of other guys. "Maybe because I never saw him, I don't know. The first and only time I ever had anything to do with him was not long after Jack died, he called to ask what had happened."

"He did?"

Lureen nodded. "He did. And I could hear in his voice over the phone how hurt he was. I recognized how he was feelin', it was how I was feelin'. I wanted to hate him, but I understood, and I knew he understood, and I just could not hate him."

Alma nodded and put her hand over Lureen's. "I don't hate either of 'em anymore. I've made my peace with how things were. It's all in the past anyway."

"Right. And, you know, I believe they never meant to hurt anybody."

"No, I don't think so either. But they were trapped."

"By us. Guess you did Ennis a favor in leavin' him."

Alma shook her head. "No, not by us, I don't think. In a way maybe but it musta been more than that."

"You're right, it wasn't us. It was something more."

"Trapped in their own heads more than anythin', I think."

"Maybe." Lureen sighed. "Seems to me they were just trying to do what was expected of 'em even though it wasn't really what they wanted outta life."

"They did the best they could; the best they knew how to do."

"They sure did." Lureen blinked a few times, determined not to cry. "At least now they can be, well, them, I guess. I think they've earned that. Jack sure as hell has waited long enough."

Alma walked around to the side of the tombstone Lureen was standing on. "When did he die?"

"1983. October."

"Yeah, you're right, that's long enough to wait for anything." Alma took a deep breath, knelt, and clasped her hands. Lureen hesitated then assumed the same position as Alma began to speak. "Jack, figured I ought to let you know, Ennis is wherever you are now, hope for both your sakes it's heaven but I'm sure you've wound up in the same place one way or another. Expect he'll be glad to see you. You had best take care a him, you owe me that much and more. Hope you can both be happy. And God, please look after both their sorry, lying, good for nothing asses. Amen."

"Amen." Lureen laughed, stood, and helped Alma up. "That was nice, though. What you said to Jack, and to God, sounds about right."

"Thank you, but I swear when I die I intend to find that man and smack him because I should have but never got the chance and the courage to at the same time."

"This may sound strange, but I hope I die before you because I want to see that."

Both women laughed. Lureen took one of Alma's hands in both her own. "What do you say we go have lunch together? I'm buying."

Alma hesitated them smiled. "Alright."


End file.
